Penny Lane
by tipsyapple
Summary: They teased her, calling her their mascot but she was really their muse. She believed in them so much they believed in themselves as a result. Her love of music fueled theirs. Her devotion to the band was absolute. Rachel/Jesse
1. Chapter 1

**Notes:** Totally AU. It's ultimately going to be Rachel/Jesse. It just takes him a bit to show up. Also no beta, all mistakes are my own. Sorry.

* * *

He shows up at her door four weeks into her exile. She knows it's not really banishment but leaving the tour to take care of her sick aunt is harder then she thought it would be. She loves her aunt but there's not much she can do for her that her full time nursing staff isn't already. She mostly hangs out by the pool. She reads to her aunt when she's feeling well enough but that isn't very often lately.

Noah tells her he's met someone else. It happened fast but they're in love. He still cares for Rachel and didn't want her to find out from anyone but him. He then mentions the story's going to break in tomorrow's entertainment news. They have pictures and a quote from someone close to the source. When she asks who it is he tells her it's a girl he met at a show three weeks ago in Miami. She's been traveling with them ever since. It's a cold truth but Rachel takes comfort in knowing Noah lasted three weeks without her before finding another girl.

The other girls name is Quinn. She's the opposite of Rachel. The pictures show her as a groupie cliché, long blonde hair, short skirts, tight tops and high heels. Rachel's know for her fashion- simplistic or bohemian, edgy or classic she always looks remarkable. Quinn looks about 25, older then Rachel's 20, close to Pucks 27. She wonders if they have a lot in common. If Quinn gets along with the band? Obviously they all knew and no one told her. She thinks that might hurt the most. They are supposed to be a family. They're the only real family she has left.

Her parents were part of a famous hippy band. Rock star royalty. Their most famous song is a duet, a love song sung by her mom and dad. It was released directly after their death in a plane crash. It's still ranked top five songs of the century and gets more play than the Beatles. Rachel grew up on the road. They toured constantly and her real home was a tour bus for the first 15 years of her life. After her parents death she lived with her aunt. She had a hard time adjusting. High school was hard; she'd always had a tutor on tour. She didn't know how to relate to her peers; she was used to being the youngest but treated as an adult for better or for worse.

Her best memory is dancing on a deserted stadium floor after a show. It's a mess, trash and debris are scattered everywhere but the music is still playing the cleanup crews favorite songs. A reporter snaps a picture. She's about 12, in a blue dress, her eyes are closed and she's got a soft expression on her face. She looks like she's floating. You can see her parents in the background sitting on the stage sharing a beer. They look at her like she's the best thing they've ever created. But she remembers thinking at the time that music was her parent's true selves and the songs they made were let into the world to show what can happen when you transcend reality and leap into fate.

Music was in her blood even though her life had changed and her first week living in Seattle she met a group of boys with a garage band. Noah, Finn, Matt and Mike live in a house together a few streets over from her. She spends the next three years of her life in their pockets. They were awestruck of her famous name. They idolized her parents but ended up loving Rachel for herself. She made them food during practice, got them to their gigs, promoted their shows and everything in between. They teased her, calling her their mascot but she was really their muse. She believed in them so much they believed in themselves as a result. Her love of music fueled theirs. Her devotion to the band was absolute. They became a family and when they went on tour three years later when she was 18, there was no question about leaving her behind. The label said she'd have to have a function, a job. She became their assistant, everything she already did for them she now got paid for.

When they were younger they were wary of her money. They didn't want to be a charity case. She explained to them to think of it as her philanthropy. She didn't value money in the same way other rich people did. It was her parent's wealth not hers. They worked hard to earn it so she appreciated in the sense it was their way of taking care of her even after death but she would give all the money away if she could have one more day with her parents. When they understood she shared out of her love for them it made things a bit easier. A struggling band has to make hard choices but she always wanted the best for them. The best equipment and instruments rewarded the world with their music.

She's basically the bands aide. It's her job to make the bands tour as smooth as possible. She's traveled with them for the past two years and knows them for three years before that. She makes sure everything in the dressing rooms is exactly the way they would want it, lighting, food, amenities, her boys have gotten pickier over time. She takes care of the amenities on the tour bus and hotels as well. While she's taking care of her aunt the label hires a temp worker for her position. She talks to her temporary replacement frequently. When Puck tells her he's found someone else it doesn't occur to her she might also be fired. She shows up at the appointed time and place to take her job back and has some big news to share with Noah and the band.

* * *

Next part soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Two weeks after the news breaks in the media she finds out she's pregnant. She's been so stressed out with her aunt's health problems it takes her awhile to even realize she's missed her period. As she's sitting on the bathroom floor waiting for the lines to tell her fate she remembers the only other time she's done this. Same house, same bathroom, different boy. She wasn't sitting here alone last time, Finn was right beside her, waiting just as anxiously. It was positive then too. They were in love, they wanted to get married. But she lost the baby during the first trimester. Nothing happened, it was just here one day and gone the next. Their relationship didn't survive the loss. They were young and blamed each other. They couldn't talk about it, couldn't get past it. They are best friends now but it was a brutal path to get there.

She hasn't talked to Noah since he broke up with her. They've texted a few times but she told him she needed some space for awhile. When he came to tell he stayed the whole day. They spent the entire time hanging out and eating junk food. She was obsessed with peanut butter and honey sandwiches. He made a ton and she ate more than her half. Food cravings make a bit more sense now. She remembers why she loves Noah in the first place. His passion is consuming and he gets wrapped up in it, sometimes to the detriment of others. He doesn't expect this breakup to change their relationship. Obviously they are no longer dating but he expects them to be just as close as before. She does too. It just takes her a while to process. When he leaves he kisses her goodbye, says he'll her in Alabama and leaves her with a demo he's working on. It's a cover and he wants her opinion. She reflects on how music is the driving force within all their lives, it' keeps them intertwined when otherwise they would drift apart. And how that's never going to change.

When she shows up to reclaim her job the first person she sees is Finn. They're still in the south, it's sweltering out and as she climbs onto the tour bus she thinks its empty, the band must be rehearsing for tonight. She notices small changes here and there. The water bottles are on the table and not in the fridge, let alone the change in brand. The cupboards are bare except for a few bags of pretzels. The TV is on and turned to a show about reality dating. The room temperature is a bit warm considering the heat and humidity outside. As she slowly pivots around and takes in the changes she is startled to see Finn coming out of the back. He stops in his tracks and seems so surprised he can't think of anything to say.

After a pause he stutters back to life "Rach, what are you doing here?"

"I work here. This new part of the tour is the time we decided I would be needed back remember. My leave is over."

"We didn't think you'd come back. You know, after."

"After Puck cheated on me for weeks, moved a new girl in and no one told me?"

"Rachel, we just- none of us knew what to say."

"So you didn't say anything"

"So we didn't say anything"

"We all survived our break up. We're a family right? Why wouldn't I come back just because Puck dumped me? Unless you guys don't want me here?"

"No that's not it. Of course we want you here, you've always been here. I guess we just didn't think it through. We've never been apart this long before. It seemed like it would go on forever after Puck told you."

"Have you talked to Puck about it?"

"No, guys don't really do that, you know that Rach"

"So he hasn't mentioned me coming back?"

"Well no- but now that I think on it he hasn't said you weren't either. Does he know you're here?"

"I haven't seen him today but we texted early. I couldn't remember which name we were under at the hotel. I tried Harry Potter but they just laughed and hung up."

"Yeah it's Jacob Black this week, Mike got to pick. Do you want to come back in with me? I had to come out for my lucky drum sticks."

Rachel agrees and they walk together into the arena. This portion of the tour is a festival. Five bands including two headliners and what seems like a million cities to go. She loves it. They did the same one the last summer. It was chaotic, like a circus with that many people traveling together. The other headlining band is actually their biggest competition. It's a duo, similar music, similar fans so of course they hate each other. It's supposed to be a friendly rivalry but it's anything but. And to make matters worse Rachel grew up with the lead singer Jesse and his sister the drummer Santana. Their parents were in that same hippy band and those first 15 years of her life his family's tour bus was in the same caravan as hers. His parents were not on the plane that killed hers. His parents retired directly after the crash and lived in a ranch in the country with him and his sister. Through the years they stayed close with Rachel and she spent many holidays with their family. Santana is her closest girl friend, Jesse on the other hand she has a much more tumultuous relationship. He was her first kiss behind a tour bus in a nameless city. She broke his heart when she moved into her aunt's house. She said she needed a clean break. He reminded her of her parents and a life that was no longer hers. They didn't talk for a whole year and when she came for Christmas break she couldn't stop talking about this band of boys she met. He'd been replaced in her heart and couldn't forgive her. He barely talked to her that visit. But later the rocky seas seemed to clear. He and Santana started their own band and he was caught up in his own career. His passion for music rekindled their relationship and when they found out both bands would be touring together this summer Jesse, Santana and Rachel couldn't wait. It was fate, full circle to their childhood.


	3. Chapter 3

After the show that night Rachel tells Noah she's pregnant. They are sitting on her balcony in her hotel room. Quinn is asleep in his. Who knows where the other boys are. He takes her hand in his and sits there quietly for a while. She's not sure how he will react. There's no question, she's keeping the baby and told him so. He looked at her like she was crazy and she knew he had come to the same conclusion. After a while he tells her that he's sorry but he still loves Quinn and won't leave her. Rachel is a bit surprised and tells him that she doesn't expect him to. They were never a conventional family.

Rachel has spent the afternoon with them all including Quinn. She can't say she likes her, she's a little stuck up and spoiled and is generally hostile towards Rachel, but she sees the connection between Noah and Quinn. She's not 100% convinced but she thinks they might be good for each other. She's just not sure how her news will affect their relationship. In their short afternoon together she can tell the other guys aren't very accepting of her yet. It's only been a couple weeks and her entrance into their lives was pretty awful and had to chance of tearing their family apart. She can also tell Quinn is jealous of her part in the family. They are devoted each other and she's on the outside staring in.

Puck is oblivious to it all. He just wants everyone to get along and sees no reason why it shouldn't work. He loves to play music, Rachel is part of the family, and he thinks Quinn is going to fit right in too. And she might, it's just too soon to tell.

When Rachel tells him about the baby everything seems to stand still. He is so filled with joy he wants to run around and tell everyone he can find he's going to be a dad. Rachel is going to be the perfect mom. Their genes are going to make a kick ass kid. He isn't stupid though. He knows Quinn is going to freak out. But he can't seem to care too much at this point. She has to know him and Rachel don't love each other like that anymore. It may be a bit hard to understand at first but he's told her time and time again. He fell in love with Quinn, he broke up with Rachel and suffered the bands wrath because of their fear for their family. But everything's fine now. And a baby could only make it better. Everyone loves babies.

They decide to tell the rest of the guys together that night. Rachel texts Finn to find Mike and Matt and meet up in her room. When they hear the news there's a pause of silence then a lot of excited and confused talking and yelling. Mike and Matt tell her how happy they are. Finn does the same and then abruptly stands up and leaves the room. The boys all look at each other then turn to look at Rachel waiting expectantly. She stands to follow Finn and Noah and the boys kiss and hug her on her way out.

She finds him sitting by the pool with his legs in the water. She slips off her shoes and does the same sitting next to him. She takes his hand and they sit in silence. They don't have to talk to know what they are both thinking. Their baby died. They loved him or her so much but that didn't change anything. She has to be worried, he wants to comfort her, but he needs to get a grip on his emotions and memories before he can do that. He can see she's happy and excited and if she can get over the fear so can he. He tells her he's going to be the best uncle in the history of uncles. She tells him he better not let Mike or Matt hear him.

Noah let's Rachel know he'll tell Quinn privately in the morning. Rachel tells him he's not as stupid as he looks and to text her when it's done. And to let her know if she should take cover. He says not to worry, Quinn will be totally fine. Rachel reminds him that not everyone is as easy going and unconventional as their family. Noah reassures her and leaves Rachel with a kiss goodnight and instructions to order room service in the morning and have breakfast in bed.

* * *

Quinn is furious. She's convinced this is all a scheme of Rachel's to get Puck back. She's probably not even pregnant. She demands Puck take Rachel to a clinic and find out from a real doctor, today. And she wants to be there. Puck agrees because it's easier to give in to Quinn then argue, plus Rachel mentioned she had to go to a doctor soon anyways. He can please them both this way. When he tells Rachel he made an appointment for her later that afternoon she's so please he's taking initiative she doesn't question the urgency. The other boys invite themselves along and give her a ride telling her Puck will meet them there. As their sitting in the waiting room in walks Puck followed closely by Quinn. Rachel doesn't utter a word but tenses beside Finn.

Finn leans down to ask her what's wrong, thinking she might be scared because the last time they went to a baby doctor.

Rachel whispers back furiously "What is she doing here?"

Finn is confused "She's the one that demanded this appointment Rachel, of course she's going to be here"

"I don't understand"

"Rach, she told Puck she's doesn't think you're really pregnant and this is all a way to get him back"

Rachel doesn't say anything in return. She just sits quietly for a minute before standing up and walking out the front door dragging Noah with her. Quinn gets up to follow but Mike and Matt see Rachel's expression and keep her inside with them.

Rachel stands to the side of the entrance with Noah's arm still clutched in her own. She's so infuriated she doesn't even know where to begin.

"Noah, why is Quinn here? At my baby appointment?"

"She wants to support me?"

Rachel just stands there giving him a disbelieving look.

Noah caves and blurts out everything Finn has already told her.

Rachel starts to cry. She's not sure why but tears are rapidly running down her face. She hopes it's just the hormones because she is not crying over Noah putting Quinn's interests above her own. He has to know Quinn would never been on her list of people to come to their first baby appointment. She gets that he wants to include her in the process but if Quinn doesn't even believe she's pregnant there's no way she's letting her this close in such a huge moment in their lives.

She doesn't even want to talk to Noah about it anymore. Rachel lets go of his arm and turns to walk back into the clinic but Noah quickly grabs for her and catches her wrist. He can't stand to make her cry and pulls her to his chest. She lets him hold her as she cries and when she's quieted down he wipes the tears from her face.

"Rach, babe, I'm sorry. I don't know what to do here."

"She's not coming in the room Noah. I want just you there with me. I'm not ruling out future visits but the only reason she's here now is because she wants to prove I'm not pregnant. That can be done from the waiting room"

Noah agrees and follows her back into the office.

When Rachel's name gets called she says she'll see Noah back there walks away quickly with the nurse.

Rachel is in a gown sitting on the exam table when the door opens and Finn walks in. She looks puzzled and Finn explains what happened after she left. Quinn threw a fit. Puck explained Rachel only wanted him there for the first appointment. She refused to let him go back without her. She said it was both of them or neither. Puck looked disappointed but finally agreed. He asked Finn to go and be with Rachel, they both knew how anxious she must be.

After the appointment she walks to the car with Finn, Mike and Matt. She uses their bodies as a shield and won't respond to Puck's question of how it went. When they get to the car Mike asks her if she's hungry and they decide to go get food before returning to the hotel.

They misjudge their timing and end up racing back to arena for the guys to do their sound check. She is so full and it's so warm out she can barely keep her eyes open. She ends up falling asleep on a couch in one of the huge tents set up for the bands to hang out and chill in. Avoiding the tent the band and therefore Quinn uses, she's in a tent she's never been in before.

When she wakes up her feet are on a pillow in Jesse's lap. No one else is around, it's quiet and she can hear music faintly in the background. She knows she hasn't been asleep very long because it's still her band doing their sound check.

"I heard it's beneficial for pregnant women to keep their feet elevated. Something to do with the swelling I think"

Rachel just gawks at him. No one but the band and Quinn are supposed to know.

Jesse can tell what's she's thinking "I guess there was some amateur paparazzi who saw you guys earlier. There are some first-rate cell phone pictures of you and Puck outside a baby clinic. You're crying, he looks like he's going to hit something, then you're embracing and he's wiping the tears from your face. Talk about a picture is worth a thousand words. They're posted online and the public is going crazy."

After a pause he adds "I thought with this kind of news you would at least tell Santana in person. She's pissed by the way and says your bff status has been revoked"

He ends with an eye roll. His sister can be such a drama queen. When he was auditioning drummers for his band she threw the biggest fit. He knows Santana is a great drummer. He just didn't particularly want to be in a band with her. This time though she was right and he was wrong. Who knew a sibling rock and roll band would be what the world wanted. Their famous last name was both blessing a curse but they dealt with it well.

"I only told Noah last night Jesse. There wasn't any time to tell anyone else yet."

"You can tell Santana that of course. But logic isn't what the girls known for."

They sit and talk for the rest of the night. Only when it's his bands turn on stage does he leave her. They spent their time mostly catching up. It'd been a couple weeks since they've talked. They haven't seen each other in months. The bands were touring on different circuits and they teased they were like ships passing in the night. She thinks he looks good. His skin is getting a light bronze and his hair is turning blonde in the summer sun. Most of their concert locations are outside and she thinks it's a good look for him. When she tells him this he teases her that she could take some tips from him, she's looking a bit pale. She reminds him she's spent the last couple months in Seattle, the rainy overcast Emerald City. Just give her a smidgen and she'll be darker than him. He loves when her olive skin gets darker in the summer months. It makes her skin glow. He wonders if she'll glow twice as much now.

Santana never showed up when they were talking. When she texts Jesse to stop talking to Rachel and get his butt to the stage Rachel knows she'll have some groveling to do. Even though it wasn't intentional, Santana is a bit high maintenance as a friend, and she's going to have to make it up to her. She thinks she has the perfect idea.


	4. Chapter 4

Santana is thrilled to be hosting Rachel's baby shower. As her closest girl friend it falls on her shoulders, good thing throwing fantastic parties practically runs in her veins, their parents get togethers were legendary. Rachel grew up in the industry and knows so many musical legends that are going to have to be invited. She's also just a friendly fun girl and has made her own mark in their world. Santana knows this baby shower is going to be an A-List event that crosses into Hollywood in more than musical ways and gets started right away.

She's going to go traditional and invite only the ladies. Her best friend spends enough of her time around boys. She needs to be pampered in only the way other girls can. Santana decides it will be next month when the tour stops in New York City. Her mom's friend runs an organic spa Rachel adores. When people start rsvping she realizes no one is going to turn down the invite. She's reserved the spa for their exclusive use for privacy but now she realizes they'll need all the space they can get. She invited 30 ladies thinking twenty would show up due to scheduling. Movie and television shoots, concerts and appearances, the ladies invited all had packed schedules and couldn't always take personal time. But it seems fate and some very exceptional assistants had intervened.

She was glad for all the people who intended to come. She, Jesse and Rachel grew up with hippy parents. Free love and no hard and fast rules of commitment meant they didn't always fit in with other girls. She understood that Rachel could have Puck's baby and raise him or her together even though their love for each other had changed. And she understood that they really did still love each other. It wasn't even like they loved each other less, just in a totally different way. The tabloids ran the story of Rachel being a wronged woman who needed to be pitied and Puck being a bastard who cheats on, then dumps his pregnant girlfriend. She thought Puck was an ass for his timing, he could have at least ended it with Rachel before getting with Quinn. But boys were stupid, it's no surprise that sometimes they mess things up. But Puck isn't malicious or cruel. He didn't do it to hurt Rachel. Musicians can seem callous when really they are oblivious of how their actions affect others. And she can see in the way Rachel and Puck interact with each other that their love is deep. Not many will understand that. She thinks Quinn's going to be trouble.

For the weeks preceding the baby shower Rachel can be found at almost any time in the siblings areas: tour buses (they both have their own because it would be a disaster they wouldn't survive it they had to live together) hotel rooms or tent area. She's spending so much time with them her boys start complaining. They refuse to go into their rival's areas to spend time with her, which Rachel thinks is ridiculous. She's avoiding Quinn and a byproduct is that she hasn't seen her band in awhile. And she misses them. She knows the tense relationship between her and Quinn causes strain within the group and she doesn't want it to affect their music so she ends up avoiding her and therefore them all together. She still goes to all their shows, because their music is essential to her life, but her free time is spent with Jesse and Santana. Rachel thinks touring with them again is helping her cope with this unplanned pregnancy. She's excited for the baby of course, but scared all the same. And Jesse and Santana remind her of time when she was never scared. When her world was simple and her parents took care of her.

* * *

Rachel falls out of bed one night. On the tour bus her bunk is on the top because she doesn't mind climbing. They knew she'd have to move to a bottom bed eventually but thought it would be farther down the road. Puck wants her and the baby safe and it's his responsibility more than the other guys so he forfeits his and Quinn's bed. Quinn doesn't care about the bed but she hates giving anything up for Rachel. She still can't figure out the dynamic of this group. She knows about Rachel and Finn's history. It was tabloid fodder at the time and she got more insight recently from Puck. But Rachel and Finn are still close friends. Very close friends. Mike and Matt treat her like their sister. Like an adored little sister who can do no wrong. Quinn has an older brother herself but it's not the same.

She thinks it might have something to do with their connection to music. She's read in all the magazine interviews that they refer to Rachel as their muse. But she thought it was just a bad metaphor for groupie. She's heard from other bands groupies that Rachel has _been with_ all four boys. At first she thought it must be just gossip but she confronted Rachel with it during an argument she didn't deny it. But no one treats her like other groupies, not any of other bands. And the other groupies seem to idolize her. But even they don't understand the connection she has to her band. Because even though they treat her like a queen she treats them the exact same way. Rachel works her butt off to make them happy and comfortable. She puts up with their drama and cleans up their messes and takes care of them 24/7. It isn't always her doing everything; she has assistants who work for the band that she supervises. But everything Rachel does is for the good of the band and the music they create. And no matter how hard Quinn tries she can't make the same connection.


	5. Chapter 5

One night she's hanging out on Jesse's bus. It's just the two of them. Any maybe there was some major flirting going on earlier but right now they're both asleep on his bed. They've been doing this a lot lately. Both the flirting and the napping. Her young 15 year old heart used to belong to Jesse and she's starting to remember why. He's her other half. When they were younger Santana had to play referee because they fought like mad. He takes care of her. In little ways as well as big. When it's meal time and she doesn't show up he knows she most likely slept through it. He grabs her an extra plate and hunts her down to make sure she eats. He constantly applies sunscreen to her body because even though he loves her golden skin there's no way he's letting her get skin cancer. When they watch a movie and share sour patch kids he always picks out the cherry ones for her to eat. She likes to sleep with the windows open and the a/c on, she doesn't even have to ask anymore, it's like that when she gets to his room on the bus or in a hotel.

He wakes up to a knock on the bus door and when he goes out to answer it he finds Puck standing there.

"Hey Jesse, is Berry here? I've been texting her but she's not replying. Finn said to check with you."

"She's here. She's asleep though."

Puck takes in Jesse's appearance. His hair is mussed and he only has sweats on, no shirt.

"Can you wake her up for me, it's kind of important. Quinn's driving me crazy and I really need to talk to Rach about it"

"You need assistance from your ex-girlfriend concerning your new girlfriend?"

"It's more like I need to talk to Rachel about a situation that involves Quinn and her"

As they're standing there debating if waking her up is the best choices she walks down the bus stairs. She woke up hearing them talking but couldn't quite make out what they're saying. When Puck sees her he lets out a relived sigh. He can depend on Rachel to always help him out. And Quinn is driving the whole band crazy with her bitching.

Rachel and Puck go for a walk to talk about whatever he needs her help with. She's wearing a white summer dress that's blowing in the slight afternoon breeze. He thinks she looks just like a picture he once saw when she dragged him to a museum on one of their stops a couple years back. If the backdrop was a beach instead of a stadium parking lot that is. As they walk further away to attain some semblance of privacy in this bustling mini city he thinks that he's lucky she's going to be the mother of his child. She understands his connection to music and helps foster it any way she can.

When Rachel listens to Noah tell her that Quinn is upset because she hasn't received an invitation to her baby shower she's a little stunned. Quinn doesn't like her and makes no pretense about it. She acts like having Rachel around is a great sacrifice to herself. Why in the world would she want to come to her baby shower? Puck says he doesn't know the details, just that it seems really important to her. He doesn't want to have to ask, but can she please just invite her? Rachel wants to agree right away. Obviously this has stressed him out. He took the hassle of finding her and asking her himself. She doesn't want to be any cause of tension that could affect the show tonight. But she really does not want Quinn at her baby shower. She tells Noah she'll talk to Santana about it. She thinks she has it planned down to the smallest detail and one more person might not fit. What she's really thinking is how she's suppose to tell Noah here's no way in hell Quinn's coming to that party.

When the shower rolls around Santana and Rachel leave together. They're meeting everyone at the spa. Santana has arranged for all their friends to get spa treatments of their choice and they'll all eventually gather in the mineral pools to hang out. Rachel isn't showing yet but they all expressed their excitement at celebrating with her. After the pool they'll be served light vegan refreshments, open presents and when everyone leaves she's arranged for gift bags for all the guests. There are some seriously well know shower attendees and she doesn't want to shame Rachel. Practically everyone's a household name- a pair of models, a few television stars, a couple big movie names, tons of well known musicians and than many celebrities who cross all three genres. When the media found out who was on the guest list they went crazy.

She thinks this is the reason Quinn wanted to attend. When Santana heard about Pucks plea she made Rachel stand firm on her decision. If she genuinely didn't want Quinn to be there, there was no Santana was letting her come. She ended up pulling Puck aside. She explained to him that even though Rachel loved him to distraction he couldn't use her devotion just to please his girlfriend. Not coming to the party wouldn't hurt Quinn in any way. And if he allowed her this and hurt Rachel in the process she was telling the other band members. She wasn't sure if it would work. Puck is used to getting his own way in everything. The rest of the band always fell in line. But he either agreed with her or didn't see what the big deal to Quinn was because he told her it wasn't going to work out.

The day of the shower Quinn is in a terrible mood and is taking it out on everyone she comes into contact with. She doesn't see Rachel's party as a celebration of her and Puck's baby, she sees it as a missed opportunity to mix and mingle with stars. And what she really doesn't realize it there will be no schmoozing going on. As terrible as it may seem her presence would have been seen as an intrusion. The other party goers can let a little loose around each other. They don't have to worry about everything they say because they see themselves as equals, they are all true friends and no one in attendance would repeat anything they heard there. If Quinn was there that would all be lost, through no fault of her own. Even if she had no intention of spreading rumors about the attendees she would be seen as an outsider and treated as such, it would have been a terrible experience because she would want to be treated with the same affection they treated Rachel.

That evening they have a late departure and the tour buses are loading up. When Rachel arrives at their bus all her gear is piled by the curb and no one is making eye contact. As she walks up to the group Quinn steps forward.

"I've tried to be friends with you Rachel but you aren't making any effort. We've had a band meeting and come to a decision. You can't travel with the band anymore. You are disunifying and it's causing problems in their performance."

"You're kicking me off the bus?"

"Yes"

"You aren't even a part of the band, how can you make this decision?"

"It was the bands decision Rachel, it's just not working out."

When Rachel turns to the boys they all stand there silently. She slowly realizes what's happened. Quinn has given the band an ultimatum, just like she did with Noah at their first baby appointment. It's either Quinn leaves or Rachel does. And Noah has threatened that if Quinn leaves he will too and there's no band without the charismatic lead singer. Noah is so infatuated with Quinn he's kicking the girl pregnant with his baby out. She tries to follows Noah's thought process. She knows he wants the baby and he wants to be a dad. She thinks maybe he didn't understand that this road wasn't going to be smooth. And Noah likes things smooth. It's literally her job to make his life as smooth as possible. And here she is, the one screwing it up. Rachel is torn to pieces. She loves them all, has made her family with them, their music is the most important thing in her life. She wants what's best for the band and has devoted years to that. But what if what's best for the band is her leaving it? She's never contemplated that scenario.

She's not sure if this is the right move but there's no time to debate. The other buses are leaving, they have a schedule to keep if they're going to make it to the next stop on the tour on time. She gathers her things and walks away. Not once talking to her family, who also say nothing to her.

When the whole caravan stops for gas Jesse realizes he has Rachel's prenatal vitamins in his bus. He takes them over to her bands bus but can't seem to find her. He pulls Finn aside to ask where she is, she likes to bounce around the buses and the other bands always welcome her. When Finn tells him what happened Jesse is taken aback and makes him repeat it. Finn mumbles the story again and walks away quickly. Puck is standing near them but not paying any attention. Jesse confronts him, asking him if he even settled her in, made sure she had a room for the night? But when you kick the pregnant mother of your child out, leave her stranded in New York and take all her family away there isn't really any responsibility to make sure she's going to be okay.

Jesse finds Santana to tell her he's going back for Rachel. They've only been driving a couple hours and he'll meet up with them in the next city. She wants to go with him but understands Jesse's need to do this on his own. She can see he loves her. She thinks maybe he never really stopped. She tells him to get Rachel on his bus and don't let her dwell too much on what's happened. She reasons the boys must still be in shock over Quinn's maneuverings because there's no way in hell they would really leave her behind like that. She expects they would have gotten it together and went back for her themselves soon but Jesse beat them to it.

When Rachel opens her door Jesse can see she's been crying. He walks in and lays them both down on the bed. He thinks she must have cried herself out because she's asleep within minutes. When she wakes up an hour later Jesse has had all her stuff loaded onto his bus. He orders a room service meal to go and they get on the bus to eat. He's not sure if she wants to talk about it and he doesn't want to push so he starts a movie. Halfway through she tells him what happened. She thinks he must know the basics because he obviously knew where she was and came back for her but she hasn't said any of it out load yet and she really needs to get it out.

Much later in the night when they're laying in bed Jesse asks her what she wants to do. Rachel explains that they may have kicked her off the bus but no one has fired her yet. She's still the bands assistant, hired by the label who knows all she does for the band not just what she's paid for. They have a lot of experience with bands like theirs and know the reality of the situation. Many don't last this long and they attribute her role in the success of this band. She's not sure but she thinks once the producers hear what went down there's going to be some serious discussions. Quinn is not supposed to be traveling with them. She has no real job and reason to be there. If it comes down to Puck needing her and the band needing Puck she's not sure what will happen. If the label thinks the band won't be able to stay together without Rachel there to cater to their needs they might chuck it all. They want to make money, in order do that the bands needs to keep making music, without Rachel there is no music so there is no band and no money.


	6. Chapter 6

The next time the band sees Rachel she's singing a song onstage with Jesse and Santana. The setup is different from anything the two usually do- Santana is playing the piano, Jesse has an acoustic guitar and he and Rachel are sitting on stools center stage. It's very MTV Unplugged. When Puck hears the song he storms off backstage but the others stay to listen. It's the love song her parents are famous for. You can see the camera phones in the audience and can practically hear thousands of videos being posted to YouTube. The fans are going to love this. It's staged like an impromptu jam session between the original bands descendents. Rachel has never sung in public before and it's not a style anyone has heard Jesse or Santana do. The videos are going to be golden because who knows if it's ever going to happen again.

Rachel's voice is soft and raspy- she sounds similar to her mother but she's got her own flow and style. Jesse complements her perfectly and only other experts can tell this is a new experience for them both. Singing together was never one of their things. Jesse took his job very seriously and Rachel committed herself to her own band. What's most amazing is this is going to serve as an official announcement of they're relationship. Previously it's all been very low key. Family friends that grew up together bonded over tragic circumstances and have remained close through the years even with their professional rivalry. Since the whole Puck baby scandal they've been seen together more but it's been spun as a supportive friendship when she needs it the most, even if it wasn't always believed. This proves all those 'just friends' disbelievers right. Because the love shining between the two of them cannot be mistaken and the way they sing the song together could stop your heart. It's a song about heartbreak and reconciliation. It tells the story of how a perfect love is anything but painless. It hurts and it's supposed to but everything is worth it in the end. It reflects her life exactly right now. Her family has basically abandoned her. Her baby's father kicked her out. But along this road she's found the love of her life, again. And if this never happened, she might never have realized what she was missing.

Puck finds Rachel in one of the green rooms. She's finally alone, he's been waiting to catch her without anyone else around.

"Berry, what's going on? That was the cover song I asked your opinion about. You knew I was working on that"

"Noah, you practically left me on the side of the road. There was no way I was going to give you permission to use that song"

"Rach, it would have been great for the band. You know it would have. I don't understand why you're doing this"

"Was leaving me behind great for the band?"

"Rachel-"

"Noah, obviously you chose to put yourself and your relationship with your girlfriend above the band when you let Quinn kick me off the bus yesterday. I'm not going to judge your choice because sometimes we need to make selfish decisions and worry only about ourselves. But Noah, this was my selfish decision. The band probably would have made that song just as famous the second time around and received the benefit of that. But I wanted to sing that song with Jesse, not with you. And even though it would have been great for the band, you didn't deserve that song anymore. "

When Rachel exits the room Jesse is leaning against the wall waiting for her. She thinks of the boy she left behind and the one standing in front of her. She can't imagine her life without either of them.

She shows up at the bands bus the next afternoon. It's a little before the show and the label wants a meeting. She climbs up the bus stairs and sees a wall of suits. Obviously they've brought out the big guns. Her guys are sprawled out on the bench seats drinking Redbull. She walks around the tiny space replacing all the cans with bottles of water. Giving them all stern looks as they grin mischievously at her. They know they shouldn't be drinking that right before singing. She takes her seat and notices Quinn's not present. It seems the label means business.

The meeting goes as expected. There's a lot of arguing from both sides. The label is pushing the point that no one can fire Rachel but them. And if they fire her they might as well not go on stage tonight. It's a condition of their contract no one paid attention to before. It's for the sake of the band. The one time they left her behind things got so out of hand the label was ready to drop them. It's like they are 12 year old boys that can't take care of themselves or make the right decisions. Stay in Vegas an extra day to gamble? It doesn't seem like such a big deal. But they get arrested, miss their next sold out concert and delay their recording sessions due to the legal proceedings.

Rachel finally steps in. She states that while she doesn't want to be anywhere else, she won't stay if they don't want her. She doesn't need the money. That was never her reason for being with them. They're a family but if they need to move on without her she'll let them go. She'll find an excellent replacement, her temp was actually pretty good at her job and with little more training she'll be able to take care of all their needs.

There's a pause in the conversation after this. The label is willing to accept her proposal, if she thinks she can find a reliable replacement they're satisfied. Finn looks around at the rest of the guys who are doing the same. They've been together so long they can have conversations with no words exchanged. They all nod and Rachel thinks this is the end. She really will have to let them go. But then Noah speaks up, he says they will not accept a replacement because no one can do what she does for them. She's their muse remember, and he's pretty sure no one else will be able to fill that job description. The label accepts their decision and leaves them to iron out the details. Rachel sits quietly while they leave, relieved the band choose not to let her go but under no pretense that this solves everything.

The band all sits back down after the suits leave. No one knows where to start and there's an elephant in the room no one will mention first. Rachel of course has to be the one to get it going. She tells them how hurt she was by their actions. They each apologize with different reasons and soon it's all forgiven, because they're a family. It's not the first time they've fought and it won't be the last.

When Puck suggests Quinn come back to the meeting to figure the next part out Finn, Mike and Matt refuse. She is his girlfriend, she's not a band member or their employee and has no decision making power. Puck sort of understands and doesn't put up a fight. Rachel lets them talks it out and she just sits and listens. These are her boys, they don't always make the best decisions but none of them are stupid. They come to the conclusion that Quinn will just have to suck it up. Their tour bus is a home and if she wants to live on it and be a part of the family she's not going to get any special treatment. Her misunderstanding of their relationship with Rachel is a part of that. Rachel is non- negotiable, was part of their family long before Quinn came along.

Rachel doesn't hate Quinn and thinks they should end with each one of them saying something positive about her. They laugh at her because it's such a Rachel thing to do but go along. Rachel is the last to go and starts to panic when it's her turn. They are all sitting there looking at her, waiting for her to say something and after an awkward amount of time passes they start to grin, they think she won't be able to think of anything. Puck starts to glare at her, this was her girly idea and if she can't think of one good thing to say about his girlfriend he's totally planning on telling Jesse about that night in Houston with her, Puck, Finn, Mike, Matt and ice cream toppings, he may even have pictures.

Rachel is feeling awful she can't think of anything and it shows on her face. Puck has second thoughts, Quinn has been really terrible to Rachel, if she can't think of anything to say he's willing to let her off. But the other guys are not, they tease her mercilessly till she comes up with something. She doesn't want to lie and make something up, which she's sure at least one of the boys did. She can only say the one thing she knows for sure.

"Quinn really loves Puck and I can at least appreciate her taste in men. Considering I'm carrying the same man's unborn child."

They tease her and tell her she sounds like she should be on Jerry Springer. When they ask her when she wants to move her stuff back in she tells them that's not necessary, Jesse has asked her to move in with him. His tour bus is more than adequate for the two of them, he even has a regular size bed in a real bedroom. They then tease her more about being on Jerry, shacking up some a man who's not even her unmarried baby's daddy. As she leaves she tells them to enjoy their bunk beds and one bathroom between the five of them and gets m&m's thrown at her.


	7. Chapter 7

Months later she's waddling around when she runs into Quinn sitting by herself in the grass. She wants to keep walking, while they're not enemies they are certainly not friends but she lowers herself down into the grass beside the blonde anyways. They sit there quietly for a few minutes. Sound checks are going on in the background. Rachel thinks she's heard more sound checks than singing this summer. Rachel's hands always want to be busy lately and she starts weaving the wild flowers around her into a wreath. When she's about half way done Quinn finally speaks up.

"Do you think it's going to be a boy or a girl?" She knows both Puck and Rachel want to wait until the birth to find out the gender.

Rachel pauses in her weaving to consider before replying, it's not what she thought they were going to talk about.

"I hope it's a boy. A boy just like Noah. Noah says he doesn't care either way and of course I'll love a girl just as much, but in my secret heart I want a boy. I understand boys best. But I'm not going to tell Noah that. He has a hard time adjusting to the unexpected and he'll think I don't want her."

After months of dating Puck Quinn understands what Rachel means "Silly boys"

Rachel finishes her flower wreath and they sit in silence for a few more minutes until they hear Puck calling Rachel's name. Rachel groans and says that he's probably looking for her to make sure she pees or something. The boys have been smothering her lately and she's feeling a bit irritated. Quinn hops up, hauls Rachel to her feet and they make a mad dash for the snacks tent. Well a mad dash waddle with Quinn holding on to Rachel's arm until they make it safely but not undetected into the tent. Puck saw them run away, pregnant women aren't that fast, but he leaves them alone. They were both smiling and laughing.

When he comes into the tent later they're sprawled out on the couch. They have bowls of food scattered around them and two baby name books open. Quinn has a crown of flowers on her head and Rachel is vetoing a name Quinn just suggested. He thanks god his baby mama isn't dumb because there is no way in hell they're naming their kid Denzel, no matter how hot his girlfriend thinks the actor is.

Jesse is looking for Rachel again. She's not on her bands bus and no one has seen her. He's trying not to worry but it's kind of hopeless at this point. All the boys have come up with a system to keep track of her. She ends up napping in the strangest places and has sent them into a panic more than once. Jesse is going bus to bus looking. She loves the other bands and they love her. One time spend the whole day with the roadies. She said she was hungry and they had the best food but he really thinks she just likes the way they all shared baby stories. A lot of the guys have kids at home and pictures of them in their wallets. She came back with all these suggestions for baby names.

This time he finds her asleep on his sister's bus. Santana says she fell asleep talking about Quinn. Jesse's worried about stressing out her and the baby but Santana reassures him they're getting on better now. Apparently Quinn has five younger sisters and brothers. The last few years at home she was basically their primary caregiver. She's chock full of knowledge about babies and Rachel was picking her brain.

Jesse hangs out with his sister until Rachel wakes up and then brings her back to their bus. Santana has plans to go out with another band and she tries to convince them to come along. She complains they're an old married couple already but they still decline in favor of whatever boring thing they usually do. They are sickeningly sweet and she can only take small doses of them when they get in these moods. Santana thanks the universe it's not her that's pregnant. She doesn't think she'd be able to do what Rachel and Jesse and Puck and even Quinn are doing. She gives them a quick hug and sends them on their way so she can get ready for the night.

One night they're at a beach having a cook out. It's a turned into a cool evening and they're gathered around the bonfire. Rachel's finally convinced all the boys to hang out with Jesse and Santana. It's the first time they're all together and so far it's going well. Rachel is a little surprised, she was more than ready to play referee. Puck has brought along his guitar and he's sitting on one side of her singing to the baby. Quinn's on his other side watching the boys and Santana across the fire playing chubby bunny with the marshmallows. It's a tie between the drummers and Santana has impressed the boys. Jesse is on Rachel's other side and she can just barely here him singing under his breath along with Puck.

Jesse has been unusually quiet for a while. He's observing the group dynamics. He realizes he's never talked to Rachel about her relationships with the band. It has to be deliberate because he can't see how they've avoided the topic in their years of conversations. He thinks either Rachel never wanted him to know too much, or he himself never wanted to. Probably a bit of both. He knows enough through Santana to piece most of it together. He thinks their parents really did a number on them growing up. He can understand Rachel's point of view because his parents instilled the same ideas in him. But he's come to a different conclusion and he hopes Rachel is with him in this. Their parent's philosophy was the 60's free love era. And it wasn't a healthy lifestyle to raise a child in then and it's not now. He wants an exclusive relationship with Rachel and he hopes she does as well.

Rachel thinks Jesse still see's her as a broken hearted 15 year old orphan thrust out from a fairy tale world into reality. Of course she knows that her teenage years were a bit messy. Her aunt helped her understand her parents more. They were naïve, her parents were very young when they had Rachel and were still growing up a lot when they died. She doesn't regret her past but she doesn't want to repeat it either. She's still young and has a lot of learning to do. She just happens to have a past more colorful the other 20 year olds. She wants her son or daughter to grow up with a different set of morals then herself. She talks to Jesse and Noah about all of this.


	8. Conclusion

The tour ends and everyone goes home. Rachel thinks it's a little like a high school graduation- it's a lot of see you soon's, and be sure to keep in touches. And while she'll miss the chaotic mess of people every day she can't wait to get home and start setting up baby stuff. Jesse and she are renting a house in the same part of town as Noah. He asked Quinn to move in and she accepted. The rest of the band is scattered in the surrounding neighborhoods. Santana's a little pissed she's getting left behind but Rachel has told her their guest house is always open whenever she wants it.

When the baby is born the waiting room is at max capacity. The has been over for months and it's like a mini reunion from the bands to the roadies all gathered to welcome Seth Puckerman into the world. Rachel went through childbirth like a trooper. She thinks Puck had a worse time of it than anyone. She only has Jesse and Puck in the room with her. The rest of the band, Quinn and Santana all fought over who got to hold baby Seth fourth.

The first few months Puck and Quinn practically live with Rachel, Jesse and the baby. Rachel can't imagine it any other way. She and Noah are determined to raise the baby together. They've been looking at some properties to build on. When the other band members found out they demanded to be included in the project also. Jesse teases that her parents would be so proud of her, starting her own commune.

* * *

That's the end folks. Long live St. Berry!


End file.
